The Dragon Orchards
by SnapesSideChick
Summary: Draco has given up, he can’t get out of bed and he learns the orchards are burned down. Drapple one shot so far, thinking about expanding it if I’m inspired.
1. Tippy

"Get up!" a very hoarse sounding Lucius Malfoy ground out.

Draco said nothing, same as he did to the three house elves father had sent to get him up before this interruption. He heard his door slam rather dramatically behind the older blonde.

Shifting in his bed under the blankets, Draco scowled, his thoughts drifting around. The Battle of Hogwarts was long over, five years of nothingness followed. Sure, they switched sides, but too little, too late. The Dark Lords' reign, and his familys choices, had ruined the Malfoy reputation for good.

Since leaving Azkaban, Lucius worked overtime networking and investing to try to restore them back to glory. Draco had no visions of that, he knew his place in society now and kept to himself, not leaving the manor for weeks at a time.

"TIPPY!" Draco called.

"Tippy here, Master Draco!" squealing as she popped in.

"Lunch; roast beef sandwich, chips and one of my apples." Draco said from under the covers.

"Tippy is getting that for you, sir, b-but no apples, sir," Tippy explained.

"What? What do you mean? We have orchards!"

"They is burned down, sir! We get them sent to the great manor but we is out! Apples not in season!"

"Okay, okay, I'm hungry, sandwich and chips," Draco replied not wanting to show the house elf how much not having his favorite snack could rattle him.

XxXxX

Now, with a full belly and a lot more energy, Draco grabbed one of his brooms from the nearest shed and took off. Flying had always been a passion for him, anytime in the air was like therapy.

Heading south he came up to the apple orchards, it was all a patch of black, ashy mud on the ground from the rainstorms lately, it looked awful.

With a flick of his wand he cleared all the heavy mud away and added a layer of topsoil. Anything more was beyond his scope of magic, earth magic was directly related to house elves and centaurs.

"TIPPY!" Draco called.

She arrived with a loud pop! "I is not surprised to see you here, young master, sir!"

"Yes, well... Tippy, I hadn't realized what shape the grounds were in. I need you to get a group together and make this top priority... please," Draco looked hopeful, and tried to ask nicely, times were changing and the Malfoys had to keep up. If saying please got him unlimited apples, so be it.

"I is understanding!"

XxXxX

Two weeks went by quickly, Draco's time being manoploized by Lucius to learn the family business. During one of these particularly boring, long winded meetings, father ordered tea service. Eyeing the elf smiling too broadly at him, Draco excused himself to his chambers. Tippy was waiting, tapping her foot.

"Come with me, young master, sir," Tippy all but shrieked.

They popped to the orchards and Draco's eyes went wide. In just weeks this barren wasteland was turned into a lush forest of perfectly lined apple trees. Letting out a sigh, Draco turned to Tippy.

"Thank you," it was simple and short but the elf stood taller and straighter.

"You is welcome, Tippy is happy to restore the great Malfoy gardens."

Draco plucked a perfectly ripe, green apple off of a nearby branch and bit in. Heaven. Things were looking up, maybe he could take on the world again.


	2. The Meeting

"Your 9 A.M. is here Ms. Granger," Alana, her secretary, voice crackled over the intercom. It was 8:35.

"Send him in, please," Hermione replied, wondering what kind of alternate universe she lived in where a _Malfoy_ made an _appointment _and showed up _early_.

As the wide, mahogany door swung open, a posh black dragonhide boot stepped through. Draco Malfoy gracefully strode to the maroon armchair facing her large matching mahogany desk. Her first observation was he looked the same, older, with sharper features. But, looking at him for a few moments, she noticed his pale skin was ashy, dark circles were under his puffy eyes and he was overdue for a hair cut with his signature white locks getting into his tired, gray eyes. He was wearing a black three piece suit, with emerald dress robes, styled to perfection as always.

Hermione hadn't changed much either, she just knew how to turn her brown rats nest of hair to soft ringlets with a flick of her wand, and dressed to flatter her petite, curvy frame. A simple cream blouse with a black pencil skirt was professional and polished. With little interest in make up, the Department Head kept it simple with mascara to bring out the gold flecks in her brown eyes.

"Malfoy," she spoke first.

"Granger, nice office," he replied almost indifferently, but Hermione noted something else, insecurity in his tone, perhaps.

"No need for small talk, let's get to it," Hermione did not want to play Slytherin games with double meanings and implied deals. She hadn't even stood when he entered, she did, however, put her quill aside, and gave him her full attention.

"Ah, I haven't been around any tactless Gryffindors since my trial, I'd like to start by saying thank you for that. You didn't have to attend, or testify for me. My lawyers said you and Potter changed the tides, so to speak." Draco didn't like speaking so directly, but he wanted to get this over with, and never have to thank her, or anyone else, again.

"Only you could put 'tactless' in a thank you," Hermione rolled her eyes and felt like it was third year again. She let a sigh, "the battle was five years ago, your trial over four years ago... it's over. We're in neutral standing with each other."

She meant it, too. She had moved on; after the Second Wizarding War was over, she had helped rebuild Hogwarts, it was like therapy, it freed her from the grief and anger. The following November she sat for her N.E.W.Ts becoming the new record holder of fourteen O's, beating Severus Snapes' previous record of a dozen Outstandings. She thought that would have earned a smirk from the late Potions Master.

"Yes, well, that's satisfactory to hear," Draco said slowly, clearing his throat.

He hadn't planned on this being so quick and effortless, he was expecting more banter, and most assuredly more convincing on his part, from the top student in his year. He had gone over this scenario in his head dozens of times, this was not an outcome he envisioned. Could she really be that indifferent to him, to the evil things he said and did? His mind was reeling, trying to figure out if she was being completely sincere or had other motives. No, he decided, why come to a trial for months and help clear his name, just to ignore him? She wouldn't, too noble, too righteous, too everything he used to find weak. Now, he had no idea what to think.

"If there's nothing else..." The brown haired witch said after an awkward whole minute of silence. She had picked her quill up again and started shuffling papers around into neater piles. Draco ears went ever so slightly pink but he straightened up and his eyes focus intently on Hermione.

"Actually, there is, father told me last week your funding fell through for your house elf orphanage, and I think I have a solution that would benefit us both," Draco went into full formal business mode. He was comfortable like this, sure of what to say and how to handle it, he was back to himself now, no more show of emotion today. "I've drawn up a proposal, I have housing at the Manor for up to one hundred elves comfortably in a restored stable. I have orchards spanning acres for them to work, and they will earn wages. They can stay as long as needed or move on to a better suited family should they wish, they would be free, of course. I know you have about forty elves they are effected by the loss of backing from the Ministry, and no where for them to live. The stables are more accomidating than that old boarding house you have them in, anyway."

He could admit he was being a little under handed trying to appeal to her need, and he hadn't mentioned that Lucius was the one putting ideas in the accounting department employees heads on where that money would be better suited than orphaned elves. Draco had simply set his proposal up for success, and Granger was benefiting, too.

"Forgive me, Mr. Malfoy, if I don't jump at the opportunity to send house elves to your Manor. I've heard first hand how you treat your elves, it's dishonorable. You do not have their best interests at heart and I have no idea why you think I'd even look at a proposal from you for positive elvish welfare. I'm not laughing, or understand quite frankly, at this joke. Also, it's NOT an orphanage, it's a place for rehabilitation to face the world as free souls. We have not spoken in years and you come in here _mocking _me. Get. Out." Hermione took the folder Draco had presented and tossed it unceremoniously into her trash bin.

"Granger, I assure you..." Draco started to say.

Hermione wrapped her hand around her wand in her waistband of her skirt. Draco flinched, not expecting the cool indifference to go to red hot anger.

"Get. Out." She repeated.

Without another word, Draco fled her office. Briskly walking by Alana, her eyes went wide at the heavy door bursting open. She peered in at her red faced boss, who was scribbling furiously at desk, stoping frequently to stare at her trash bin. Alana just closed the door, quietly.

That did not go well.


End file.
